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No. 6l0,708. Patented Sept. I3, |89IB. E. F. & L. J. HEDDERICK.

WASHBARD.

(Application led Apr. 8, 1898.) (No Model.)

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EDWARD F. IInDDnuIcIr 4AND LEANDER J. HIIDDnIucII, or FLORA, INDIANA. p f

WASHBGARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,708,4da1ted September 13, 1898, Application filed April 8, 1898. Serial No. 676,933. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD F. HEDDE- RICK and LEANDER J. HEDDERICK, citizens of the United States, residing at Flora, in the county of Carroll and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Washboard, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in washboards of that class wherein a double working or rub surface is made of wire with interwoven metallic strips arranged longitudinally of the weft-wires and the object that we have in view is to provide means to protect the lower edge of the wire surface and also strengthen the latter in the interval between the stiles or legs of the washboard-frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protector and reinforcement which may be easily and readily applied to the lower edge of the wire rubbing-surface and securely attached to the stiles or legs of the frame,l

thus providing for the ready assemblage andv union of the parts to enable the board to be manufactured cheaply and rapidly.

YVith these ends in view our invention consists in the combination, with the frame and a metallic rubbing or working surface attached thereto, of a reinforcing-protector U-shaped in cross-section and fitted to the lower edge of the working surface to inclose the rough edges thereof, said protector having its ends split to form prongs which are passed through openings or slots in the stiles of the frame to be clenched against the frame for the purpose of holding the protector Vsecurely in engagement with the working surface and in position on the stiles.

To enable others to understand the invention, we have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is an elevation of a washboard constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View thereof.` Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the reinforcing and protecting strip.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in each` of the several figures ofthe drawings'. f

The frame l of the washboardis similar in all substantial respects to'those of ordinary washboards, and, as shown by theV drawings, it consists of the stiles or legs 2,`a cap-rail 3, and a headboard 4, all of which'A are preferably made of wood and rigidly joined together in anyfsuitable way. l I. u

The working surface 5 of our washb'oard is made of metal to produce a double Working face, thus enabling the board to bereversed side for side and bring either surface thereof into position for service. Thisworking surface is `composed of a series orplurality of weft-wires 6, and ia series of fiat metallic strips 7, which are interwovenwith the weftwires in the intervals 'or' spaces where they cross one another. The'metallic'st'rips are thus joined with the weft-wires to forni a part of the working surface of the'board, and said strips extend longitudinally of the working surface. A composite fabric of wire and metallic strips is thus produced which may be woven in any desired length, and the fabric is adapted to be cut or sheared transversely at suitable intervals to produce working surfaces of a length proper for the frame l.

In cutting a long length of the composite wire and strip fabric into short lengths proper to' form a Working surface of a washboard it is found that the sheared ends of the longitudinal strip 7 will present rough or ragged edges, and the fabric in this condition is not well adapted for service in the washboardframe, because the rough edges of said strips will catch in the fabrics and have a tendency to tear or injure the same. To overcome these objections, as well as to provide a rein forcement to the lower or unconiined edge of the composite fabric, we providethe reinforcement and protector-strip shown by Fig. 4f of the drawings. To provide for the proper assemblage of the woven fabric with the frame, the stiles 2 thereof vare formed with 95 longitudinal kerfs 9 on their inner faces to receive the selvage edges of the fabric, and the cleats 10 are fastened to the headboard 4 over the upper edge of the fabric, the metallic working surface being thus secured within ICQ , strip.

the frame to have all of the edges thereof protected and concealed except the rough edges at the lower edge of the fabric formed by the projecting ends 8 of the longitudinal strip 7.

The reinforcing and protecting strip is indicated by the numeral 11 in the drawings, reference being had more particularly to Fig. 4. This strip 11 is made of a single piece of sheet metal, which is doubled or folded upon itself into substantially the U-shaped form shown by the drawings, and at its ends said strip is divided or split longitudinally for short distances, as at 12, to form the separate clenchable prongs 13, the division-lines l2 being cut in the folded edge of the U-shaped This strip has its open side applied to the lower edge of the fabric to inclose the projecting ends 8 of the strips 7 and the lower wires of the fabric, thus presenting to the fabrics and the hand of the operator a smooth rounded edge formed by the fold in the U-shaped strip, whereby tendency to tear the fabrics and injure the hand of the operator is reduced to a minimum. This folded strip is securely fastened or attached to the .sl-iles 2 of the frame by passing the divided prongs 13 through openings or slots 14E, which are provided at proper intervals in the stiles 2 of the frame, and these prongs are long enough to extend entirely through said stiles and to be bent in opposite directions against the same, thereby holding the protector-strip securely in place.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be seen that we have provided an extremely simple and cheap construction of washboard, in which the rough lower edges of a woven fabric are securely inclosed by a protector-strip which prevents injury to the hands and fabrics and also serves the important purpose of strengthening the fabric in the interval or space betweenvits attachment to the stiles. This protector-strip is securely united in a simple way to the frame, so as to form a part of the structure. The parts composing the washboard are constructed for their ready assemblage and attachment in a manner to eX- pedite the manufacture of the board and effect economy therein, and the parts also possess the necessary strength and durability to withstand the rough service to which a device of this character is subjected.

It is evident that changes in the form and proportion of parts may be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacricing the advantages of the in vention.

Having thus described -the invention,what we claim is- 1. A washboard consisting of a frame, a metallic workin g surface, and a metallic protector-strip made of a single length of metal and doubled upon itself to presenta U -shaped appearance in cross-section and having its ends split or divided to provide clenchable prongs that are passed through openings in the frame and are bent into firm engagement therewith, substantially as described.

2. A washboard consisting of a suitable frame, a working surface formed of longitudinal strips which are interwoven with a series of weft-wires and have at their lower edges the short projecting ends, and a U- shaped strip inclosing the lower edge and projecting ends of the working surface and provided at its ends with prongs or lips which pass through the frame and are clenched against the outer faces thereof, substantially as described.

. In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

EDwARD F. HEDDERICK. LEANDER J. HEDDERIOK.

Witnesses:

EDWARD VooRHEEs, CATHERINE J. STUDEBAKER. 

